Capsule For An Item

Abstract

This invention relates generally to capsules for containers, and more particularly to capsules for housing items with beverage containers, such as wine bottles, champagne bottles, beer bottles, liquor bottles, soda bottles, and the like.

Description

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

This invention relates generally to capsules for containers, and more particularly to capsules for housing items with beverage containers, such as wine bottles, champagne bottles, beer bottles, liquor bottles, soda bottles, and the like.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention is directed to a capsule for a bottle, which may include a substantially tubular, conformable skirt and a chamber for housing an item. The skirt may include at least one vent hole through the skirt to permit gas to pass through the skirt. The chamber may be positioned at least partially inside and releasably secured to at least a portion of the skirt. The chamber may also comprise at least one standoff extending from the housing for mounting the chamber on a top of the bottle, wherein the at least one standoff may include at least one rim guide for centering the chamber on the bottle, and at least one bottle mount for connecting the chamber to the top of the bottle. The chamber may further comprise at least one vent aperture, which may be aligned with at least one vent hole in the skirt.

The capsule of the present invention may form a secondary closure on the bottle. The skirt may include an aperture for displaying the item through at least a top wall of the chamber. A portion of the chamber may protrude through the aperture in the skirt for displaying the item through a top wall of the chamber and also through at least one side wall of the chamber. The skirt may be formed from a thin sheet comprising one of a metal, a thermoplastic, wood pulp, or wax. The capsule may further include indicia on an inner surface of the capsule, such as on an inner surface of the skirt or under a disk that may cover the aperture.

The chamber may further comprise a housing having a cavity, an opening in the housing to permit the insertion and removal of the item into and from the cavity, and a cover releasably covering the opening to releasably secure the item inside the chamber. The skirt may include a tear strip, which may be circumferentially positioned on an inner surface of the skirt and axially below the at least one vent hole. An end of the tear strip may be exteriorly accessible to permit actuation of the tear strip. Actuation of the tear strip may release the chamber from the bottle and permit access to the cover and also to a primary closure of the bottle.

The chamber may be capable of bearing a compressive force longitudinally transmitted through the at least one standoff when the capsule is mounted on the bottle. The bottle may be one of a wine bottle, a champagne bottle, a liquor bottle, or a soda bottle.

In another embodiment, a capsule may form a secondary closure on a bottle, comprising a skirt having at least one vent hole therethrough, and a chamber positioned at least partially inside and releasably secured to at least a portion of the skirt. The chamber may comprise an item, which may be removably insertable into and from a cavity in the chamber through an opening in the chamber. The chamber may also comprise a cover removably secured to the chamber and covering the opening for releasably securing the item in the cavity, and a tear strip positioned on the skirt. An end of the tear strip may be exteriorly accessible for gripping and actuating the tear strip. Actuation of the tear strip may release the chamber from the bottle and may permit access to the cover and also to a primary closure of the bottle. The chamber may also comprise at least one vent cavity, which may be aligned with at least one vent hole.

The item may be visible through at least one wall of the chamber. The chamber may comprise a plan form that is one of a circle or a polygon. A top wall of the chamber may include a raised surface or a recessed surface. A top wall of the chamber may alternatively, or additionally, include a lens for magnifying the item.

The skirt may conformably attached to the chamber and the skirt may be transparent. The capsule may also include indicia on an inner surface of the capsule, such as on an inner surface of the skirt.

In another embodiment, the invention may comprise a system for housing an item with a bottle. The system may comprise a closure having a chamber for housing the item where the closure may be positioned in a mouth of the bottle and a cap releasably positioned on the closure and over the chamber for releasably retaining the item. The cap may include a first aperture along an outer edge of the cap to assist in removing the cap from the closure for accessing the item. The system may also comprise a skirt positioned over the closure and the cap and secured to at least a portion of the bottle.

The skirt may include a second aperture that may expose at least a portion of the cap. The cap may be transparent for displaying the item. The skirt may further comprise a second aperture exposing at least a portion of the first aperture to permit communication of gas through the first and second apertures, and a tear strip positioned on the skirt. An end of the tear strip may be exteriorly accessible for gripping and actuating the tear strip. Actuation of the tear strip may separate at least a portion of the skirt to permit access to the cap. The capsule may include indicia on an inner surface of the capsule.

Another embodiment of the present invention may comprise a punt capsule for a bottle punt. The punt capsule may comprise an inner capsule including a cavity adapted to be received by the bottle punt and a chamber positioned in the cavity for housing an item. The chamber may comprise a cover forming a bottom of the chamber wherein the cover may be releasably secured to the chamber to releasably secure the item inside the chamber. The punt capsule may further comprise an outer capsule connected to the inner capsule and enclosing the chamber in the cavity. The outer capsule may include a tear strip wherein an end of the tear strip may be exteriorly accessible for gripping and actuating the tear strip. Actuation of the tear strip may at least partially separate a portion of the outer capsule from the inner capsule to release the chamber from the punt capsule.

The inner capsule may nest in the outer capsule. The punt capsule may be inserted over and shrink-fit to a bottom of a bottle. The chamber of the punt capsule may nest in the cavity.

A better understanding of the objects, advantages, features, properties and relationships of the invention will be obtained from the following detailed description and accompanying drawings which set forth illustrative embodiments that are indicative of the various ways in which the principles of the invention may be employed.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

For a better understanding of the invention, reference may be had to preferred embodiments shown in the following drawings in which:

FIG. 1 illustrates a perspective view of one embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 2 illustrates an exploded perspective view of the embodiment of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 illustrates a top plan view of the embodiment of FIG. 1;

FIG. 4 illustrates a chamber of the embodiment of FIG. 1;

FIG. 5 illustrates a partial section view, in perspective, of the embodiment of FIG. 1;

FIG. 6 illustrates a rear perspective view of a skirt of the embodiment of FIG. 1;

FIG. 7 illustrates a front elevational view of a housing of the embodiment of FIG. 1;

FIG. 8 illustrates a top plan view of the housing of FIG. 7;

FIG. 9 illustrates a bottom plan view of the housing of FIG. 7;

FIG. 10 illustrates a front perspective view of the housing of FIG. 7;

FIG. 11 illustrates a perspective view of a capsule of the embodiment of FIG. 1;

FIG. 12 illustrates a perspective view of another embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 13 illustrates an exploded perspective view of the embodiment of FIG. 12;

FIG. 14 illustrates an exploded perspective view of yet another embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 15 illustrates a perspective view of the embodiment of FIG. 14;

FIG. 16 illustrates a perspective view showing the steps of manufacture of one part of a punt capsule of the present invention;

FIG. 17 illustrates a perspective view showing the steps of manufacture of another part of a punt capsule of the present invention;

FIG. 18 illustrates a front elevational view of a part of a punt capsule using the parts shown in FIGS. 16 and 17;

FIG. 19 illustrates a front perspective view of the punt capsule of FIG. 18;

FIG. 20 illustrates a perspective view showing the steps of manufacture of another part of a punt capsule of the present invention;

FIG. 21 illustrates a perspective view showing the steps of manufacture of yet another part of a punt capsule of the present invention;

FIG. 22 illustrates a front elevational view of view of a part of a punt capsule using the parts shown in FIGS. 20 and 21;

FIG. 23 illustrates a front perspective view of the punt capsule of FIG. 22;

FIG. 24 illustrates an exploded front elevational view showing installation of an embodiment of a chamber together with the parts of the punt capsule shown in FIGS. 19 and 23;

FIG. 25 illustrates a front elevational view showing the fully assembled punt capsule of FIG. 24; and

FIG. 26 illustrates a front elevational view of the punt capsule of FIG. 25 shown installed onto a bottle.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

While this invention is susceptible of embodiments in many different forms, there is shown in the drawings and will herein be described in detail, a preferred embodiment of the invention with the understanding that the present disclosure should be considered as an exemplification of the principles of the invention and is not intended to limit the broad aspects of the invention to the embodiments illustrated herein.

Turning now to the figures, wherein like reference numerals refer to like elements, there is illustrated in FIGS. 1-11 capsule 10 incorporating the improvements of the present invention. FIG. 1 illustrates, for example, one particular application out of a multitude of possible applications of capsule 10 where capsule 10 is shown installed upon the top of bottle 66, such as that commonly used for wine, champagne, liquor, beer, soda, and the like. Capsule 10 may include skirt 11 and chamber 20. Capsule 10 may contain and may display item 46, which may include, for example, a promotional item, a charm, a trinket, or the like, within chamber 20 positioned inside capsule 10 or simply positioned inside or underneath skirt 11 if chamber 20 is not present. In addition, capsule 10 may act as a secondary closure for the contents of the bottle in addition to primary closure 60 of bottle 66, such as a cork (see FIG. 5) or a cap (not shown), to secure the contents of bottle 66, such as a beverage, inside bottle 66.

Skirt 11 of capsule 10 may be made from a variety of suitable materials, such as, for example, metal, including aluminum or tin, a thermoplastic, such as polystyrene, polyethylene, polypropylene or ABS, wood pulp, wax, or any other material that may be formed into and function as a capsule. Skirt 11 may be fabricated to substantially conform to at least a portion of chamber 20 and to bottle 66, such as neck 70, and may include wall 15 forming aperture 16 for the retainable housing and optional display of the contents of chamber 20. For example, as shown in FIG. 2, skirt 11 may be fabricated in the shape of a tube for insertion over chamber 20 and neck 70 of bottle 66. Skirt 11 may be secured to and substantially conform to at least a portion of chamber 20 and to bottle 66, over the entirety of bottle 66 or over any portion of bottle 66, such as neck 70, using conventional means, such as by shrinking skirt 11 using heat or by compressing skirt 11 under pressure to conform to bottle 66, or both. An adhesive may also be used, if desired, to more securely attach skirt 11 to neck 70. Skirt 11 may be transparent, semi-transparent, or opaque.

To permit the optional visual access to item 46 while housed in chamber 20, aperture 16 of skirt 11 may reveal chamber 20 and its contents. Chamber 20 may include housing 22, which may include top surface 24. If visibility of item 46 while housed in chamber 20 is desired, at least top surface 24 of housing 22 may be transparent or semi-transparent and may be left exposed to and visible through aperture 16 in skirt 11 to permit display of item 46. Housing 22 of chamber 20 may instead be opaque to obscure display of item 46. Alternatively, skirt 11 of capsule 10 may, in addition to or in place of chamber 20, include a transparent, semi-transparent, or opaque disk or other cover that spans aperture 16 to display, obscure, or prevent display of item 46. Skirt 11 of capsule 10 may optionally not include aperture 16 and instead may completely cover chamber 20. However, a completely covered chamber 20 may still be visible depending on the chosen transparency of skirt 11.

It is understood by one of ordinary skill in the art that housing 22 of chamber 20 may be made in any shape. For example, as shown in FIG. 2, housing 22 may be generally circular on its periphery. Alternatively, housing 22 may be made in the shape of, for example, a polygon. Likewise, top surface 24 may be generally flat, as shown in FIG. 2 or take on any shape, such as a dome, for example, and may include a raised impression, a depression, or a lens for magnifying item 46.

As shown in FIGS. 1-2, capsule 10 may also include at least one vent hole 14, which may be radially positioned along the perimeter of, and through, skirt 11 for communicating gas through skirt 11. If more than one vent hole 14 is included, as may be determined, for example, by the contents of bottle 66 and the porosity and/or permeability of primary closure 60 or for ease of installation of skirt 11 over bottle 66, vent holes 14 may be spaced equidistant from one another, or they may be spaced with irregular spacing to maximize potential alignment with other features of the invention, as described below, for communicating gas through skirt 11. The at least one vent hole 14 may be positioned above mouth 72 of bottle 66 to permit transmission of gas through skirt 11.

Capsule 10 may optionally include tear strip 12 affixed to inside surface 18 of skirt 11 (see FIG. 6). Tear strip 12 may provide a convenient method for partially or completely severing top portion 17 of skirt 11 from skirt 11 to release chamber 20 from bottle 66 and to permit access to both the contents of chamber 20 (i.e., item 46) as well as to primary closure 60 of bottle 66, such as a cork (see FIG. 5) or a cap (not shown). Alternatively, if tear strip 12 is not included in capsule 10, top portion 17 may be separated from capsule 10 using any conventional tool for such purpose. However, using such additional tool may be more expensive to acquire and cumbersome to deploy as compared to using the features disclosed in the present invention. Alternatively, skirt 11 may instead be configured to be removed by hand by, for example, simply pulling or peeling skirt 11 off of bottle 66.

Tear strip 12 may be oriented substantially circumferentially on inside surface 18 at a position below the at least one vent hole 14, as shown in FIGS. 1-2 to permit partial or complete removal of at least top portion 17 of capsule 10, or possibly the entirety of capsule 10, if desired, from bottle 66 while also permitting venting of gas from inside bottle 66. Tear strip 12 may optionally be positioned near bottle top 68 to release chamber 20 and to provide a torn edge of skirt 11 approximately at or below bottle top 68. Alternatively, tear strip 12 may be oriented in any one of a number of different orientations, such as in a helical pattern, a zig-zag pattern, or a substantially longitudinal (vertical) orientation to permit partial or complete removal of top portion 17, and perhaps the entirety, of capsule 10 from bottle 66. Tear strip 12 may be a separate piece that is affixed to inside surface 18 of skirt 11 or tear strip 12 may be integrally formed with skirt 11. If tear strip 12 is a separate piece, tear strip 12 may be made from a different material than skirt 11.

As shown in FIG. 2, capsule 10 may also include indicia 19 positioned on an inner surface of capsule 10, such as on inside surface 18 of skirt 11, underneath a disk (not shown) or other cover that may cover aperture 16, on bottom surface 44 of peel strip 42, or separately included under chamber 20. In this way, hidden messages may be provided to and read by, for example, consumers of bottle 66 after releasing chamber 20 from skirt 11.

As best shown in FIGS. 2, 4 and 5, chamber 20 of capsule 10 may include housing 22, item 46 and peel strip 42. Peel strip 42 may be adhesively secured to underside surface 29 of bottom wall 28 of housing 22 to fully encapsulate item 46 to prevent intrusion of potentially corrosive moisture or gas from entering chamber 20 and damaging item 46. Alternatively, peel strip 42 may comprise any form of closure or cover to simply cover opening 30 and to contain item 46. Chamber 20 may also be pre-assembled with item 46 and with peel strip 42 for ease of manufacture of capsule 10.

As shown in FIG. 5, capsule 10 may form a secondary closure over primary closure 60. Primary closure 60 may be inserted into mouth 72 of bottle 66 using conventional means. Once installed, top surface 62 of primary closure 60 may be either above, below, or flush with bottle top 68 of bottle 66 so long as gas is permitted to pass through at least one of vent holes 14.

As shown in FIGS. 7-10, housing 22 may include opening 30 to permit installation and removal of item 46 into and from cavity 40 of housing 22. Housing 22 may also include at least one standoff 32. The at least one standoff 32 may extend approximately from bottom wall 28 of housing 22, and may include at least one bottle mount 34 for connecting chamber 20 to bottle top 68, at least one rim guide for centering chamber 20 on bottle 66, and at least one vent cavity 38. The at least one vent cavity 38 may be oriented to align with the at least one vent hole 14 for communicating gas through the at least one vent hole 14 arranged in skirt 11 of capsule 10. Depending on the number of vent cavities 38 included in housing 22, each of vent cavities 38 may be spaced equidistant from one another, or they may be spaced with irregular spacing to maximize the possibility that at least one vent cavity 38 aligns with at least one vent hole 14 to permit passage of gas, for example, from within inside bottle 66 to the atmosphere.

FIG. 11 shows a complete capsule 10 ready for final installation on bottle 66. Specifically, capsule 10 is shown with chamber 20 inserted into and affixed to inside surface 18 of skirt 11 using conventional means, such as by shrinking skirt 11 using heat or by compressing skirt 11 under pressure to conform to chamber 20, or both. Alternatively or additionally, skirt 11 may be pre-formed into the general shape shown in FIG. 11 and simply adhered to chamber 20 using an adhesive. In either case, skirt 11 may not initially be shrunk below chamber 20 to permit later insertion of capsule 10 over neck 70 of bottle 66.

A method for using capsule 10 shown in FIG. 11 includes first installing capsule 10 onto neck 70 of bottle 66. Rim guides 36 may assist in the assembly process by helping to center chamber 20 over bottle top 68 until contact is made between bottle mounts 34 of chamber 20 onto bottle top 68. Capsule 10 may then be secured onto neck 70 by conventional means, such as by shrinking skirt 11 using heat or by compressing skirt 11 of capsule 10 under pressure to conform to neck 70, or both. Additionally, capsule 10 may be adhered to neck 70 using an adhesive. Once installed upon bottle 66, capsule 10 and particularly chamber 20 may be capable of bearing a compressive force longitudinally transmitted through the at least one standoff 32.

If a user wishes to access item 46 from within chamber 20 when capsule 10 is fully installed on bottle 66, the user must first tear or score skirt 11 to release chamber 20 from capsule 10 and bottle 66. To tear skirt 11, a user may grip loose end 13 of tear strip 12, which may extend exteriorly through, for example, either a longitudinal seam in skirt 11 or through an opening in skirt 11, and pull tear strip 12 to rupture skirt 11 along the periphery of skirt 11 until chamber 20 is released. In so doing, a torn edge of skirt 11 may be formed approximately at or below bottle top 68. Alternatively, to release chamber 20 in cases when tear strip 12 is not present on capsule 10, a sharp knife or other tool known to one of ordinary skill can be used to tear, cut, score or otherwise cleave skirt 11 along the periphery of skirt 11. However, using such additional tool may be more expensive to acquire and cumbersome to deploy as compared to using the features disclosed in the present invention. Alternatively, skirt 11 may instead be configured to be removed by hand by, for example, simply pulling or peeling skirt 11 off of bottle 66.

Once chamber 20 is released from capsule 10 on bottle 66, the contents of chamber 20 may be accessed by gripping loose end 43 of peel strip 42 (see FIG. 2, for example) and peeling or removing peel strip 42 away from bottom wall 28 of housing 22. Item 46 may then be retrieved through opening 30 of housing 22. In addition, once chamber 20 is released from capsule 10 on bottle 66, primary closure 60 of bottle 66, such as a cork (see FIG. 5) or a cap (not shown), may also be accessed and removed using conventional means to gain access to the contents of bottle 66.

FIGS. 12-13 show another embodiment of the invention. Skirt 81 of this embodiment has properties and features similar to skirt 11 described above except that chamber 20 may protrude or extend past opening 86 of skirt 81 to reveal top surface 24 and at least one side wall 26 of housing 22 of chamber 20 to further enhance visibility of item 46. Chamber 20 may also be inserted into skirt 81 and affixed or secured to inner surface 88 of skirt 81 in the same manner as described above for the embodiment of FIGS. 1-11. For example, chamber 20 may be secured to inner surface 88 of skirt 81 using conventional means, such as by shrinking skirt 81 using heat or by compressing skirt 81 under pressure to conform to chamber 20, or both. An adhesive may also be used, if desired, to more securely attach chamber 20 to skirt 81 in capsule 80.

Capsule 80 in FIG. 12 may also include at least one vent hole 84, which may be radially positioned along the perimeter of, and through, skirt 81 for communicating gas through skirt 81. If more than one vent hole 84 is included, as may be determined, for example, by the contents of bottle 66 and the porosity, the permeability of primary closure 60, or for ease of installation of skirt 11 over bottle 66, vent holes 84 may be spaced equidistant from one another, or they may be spaced with irregular spacing to maximize potential alignment with other features of the invention, as described below, for communicating gas through skirt 81. The at least one vent hole 84 may be positioned above mouth 72 of bottle 66 to permit transmission of gas through skirt 81.

Chamber 20 may be released from capsule 80 in the same manner as described above for the embodiment of FIGS. 1-11. Specifically, skirt 81 may optionally include tear strip 82 affixed to inner surface 88 of skirt 81 and loose end 83 for gripping and actuating tear strip 82. Tear strip 82 may provide a convenient method for partially or completely separating top portion 90 of skirt 81 from skirt 81 to release chamber 20 from bottle 66 and to permit access to both the contents of chamber 20 (i.e., item 46) as well as to primary closure 60 of bottle 66, such as a cork (see FIG. 5) or a cap (not shown). Alternatively, if tear strip 82 is not included in capsule 80, top portion 90 may be separated from capsule 80 using any conventional tool for such purpose. However, using such additional tool may be more expensive to acquire and cumbersome to deploy as compared to using the features disclosed in the present invention. Alternatively, skirt 81 may instead be configured to be removed by hand by, for example, simply pulling or peeling skirt 81 off of bottle 66.

Like the embodiment of FIGS. 1-11, tear strip 82 shown in FIGS. 12-13 may be oriented substantially circumferentially on inner surface 88 at a position below the at least one vent hole 84 to permit removal of at least top portion 90 of capsule 80, or possibly the entirety of capsule 80, if desired, from bottle 66 while also permitting venting of gas from inside bottle 66. Tear strip 82 may optionally be positioned near bottle top 68 to release chamber 20 and to provide a torn edge of skirt 81 approximately at or below bottle top 68. Alternatively, tear strip 82 may be oriented in any one of a number of different orientations, such as in a helical pattern, a zig-zag pattern, or a substantially longitudinal (vertical) orientation to permit removal of at least top portion 90, and perhaps the entirety, of capsule 80 from bottle 66. Tear strip 82 may be a separate piece that is affixed to inner surface 88 of skirt 81 or tear strip 82 may be integrally formed with skirt 81. If tear strip 82 is a separate piece, tear strip 82 may be made from a different material than skirt 81.

As shown in FIG. 13, capsule 80 may also include indicia 92 positioned on an inner surface of capsule 80, such as on inner surface 88 of skirt 81, on bottom surface 44 of peel strip 42, or separately included under chamber 20. In this way, hidden messages may be provided to and read by, for example, consumers of bottle 66 after releasing chamber 20 from skirt 81.

It should be understood that the method for using capsule 80, and for displaying and removing item 46 from chamber 20 is generally the same as described above for the embodiment of FIGS. 1-11.

Yet another embodiment of the present invention is shown in FIG. 14. In this embodiment, capsule 100 may include primary closure 108, item 46, cap 112 and skirt 101. Primary closure 108 may include chamber 110 for housing item 46. Chamber 110 may be concentrically drilled, bored, or molded into primary closure 108. For best results, given the geometry of chamber 110, primary closure 108 may comprise a synthetic material to reduce porosity of primary closure 108 and to provide sufficient radial wall loads to at least prevent leakage of fluid from inside bottle 66.

As shown in FIG. 14, primary closure 108 may be inserted into mouth 72 of bottle 66 using conventional means. Once installed, top surface 109 of primary closure 108 may be any one of approximately below, flush, or above bottle top 68 of bottle 66. Item 46 may be inserted into chamber 110 either before or after installation of primary closure 108 into mouth 72. If chamber 110 is inserted before primary closure 108 is inserted into mouth 72, then a temporary closure may be employed to retain item 46 in chamber 110.

To secure item 46 inside chamber 110, cap 112 may be inserted into and over chamber 110. To accomplish this, cap 112 may include outer wall 116, which may form an interference fit with inner wall 111 of chamber 110 upon insertion of outer wall 116 of cap 112 inside chamber 110. An adhesive may also be used, if desired, anywhere cap 112 adjoins primary closure 108 to seal item 46 from atmospheric dirt and contamination. To secure cap 112 to chamber 110, skirt 101 of capsule 100 may include wall 106. Skirt 101 may include aperture 104, which may be smaller in size than cap 112.

To permit the optional visual access to item 46 while housed in chamber 110, aperture 104 of skirt 101 may reveal chamber 110 and its contents through optional cap 112. Skirt 101 of capsule 100 may also include a transparent, semi-transparent, or opaque disk or other cover that spans aperture 104 to display, obscure, or prevent display of item 46 and to secure item 46 in chamber 110 if cap 112 is not present. Skirt 101 of capsule 100 may optionally not include aperture 104 and instead may completely cover chamber 110. However, a completely covered chamber 110 may still be visible depending on the chosen transparency of skirt 101.

To gain access to cap 112 and item 46, skirt 101 of capsule 100 may include tear strip 102 affixed or secured to inner surface 105 of skirt 101. Tear strip 102, and loose end 103 usable for gripping and actuating tear strip 102, may provide a convenient method for partially or completely separating top portion 118 of skirt 101 from skirt 101 to access cap 112 and to permit access to both the contents of chamber 110 (i.e., item 46) as well as to primary closure 108 of bottle 66. Alternatively, if tear strip 102 is not included with capsule 100, top portion 118 may be separated from capsule 100 using any conventional tool for such purpose. However, using such additional tool may be more expensive to acquire and cumbersome to deploy as compared to using the features disclosed in the present invention. Alternatively, skirt 101 may instead be configured to be removed by hand by, for example, simply pulling or peeling skirt 101 off of bottle 66.

Like the embodiment of FIGS. 1-11, tear strip 102 shown in FIG. 14 may be oriented substantially circumferentially on inner surface 105 to permit removal of at least top portion 118 of capsule 100, or possibly the entirety of capsule 100, if desired, from bottle 66. Tear strip 102 may optionally be positioned near bottle top 68 to provide a torn edge of skirt 101 approximately at or below bottle top 68. Alternatively, tear strip 102 may be oriented in any one of a number of different orientations, such as in a helical pattern, a zig-zag pattern, or a substantially longitudinal (vertical) orientation to permit removal of at least top portion 118, and perhaps the entirety, of capsule 100 from bottle 66. Tear strip 102 may be a separate piece that is affixed to inner surface 105 of skirt 101 or tear strip 102 may be integrally formed with skirt 101. If tear strip 102 is a separate piece, tear strip 102 may be made from a different material than skirt 101.

As shown in FIG. 14, capsule 100 may also include indicia 107 positioned on an inner surface of capsule 100, such as on inner surface 105 of skirt 101, underneath a disk (not shown) or other cover that may cover aperture 104, or separately included under cap 112. In this way, hidden messages may be provided to and read by, for example, consumers of bottle 66 after removing top portion 118 from skirt 101.

To gain access to item 46 housed in chamber 110, cap 112 may also include aperture 114 positioned along a portion of the outer edge of cap 112. To remove cap 112 from primary closure 108, an object, such as a fingernail or even a screw driver, may be inserted into aperture 114 to pry cap 112 off of primary closure 108 using lever action.

Skirt 101 of this embodiment may have properties and features similar to skirt 11 described above, except that skirt 101 may not necessarily include any vent holes along its periphery, such as vent holes 14 shown on FIG. 1. Instead, gas may permeate to/from the contents of bottle 66 past or through primary closure 108, through aperture 114 of cap 112, and through aperture 104 of skirt 101.

In FIG. 15 there is shown a complete capsule 100, which may be formed by installing and securing skirt 101 over neck 70 of bottle 66 using conventional means, such as by shrinking skirt 101 using heat or by compressing skirt 101 under pressure to conform to neck 70 of bottle 66, or both. An adhesive may also be used, if desired, to more securely attach skirt 101 to neck 70. As shown in FIG. 15, cap 112 may be transparent to optimize visibility of item 46. However, cap 112 may be semi-transparent or opaque to obscure visibility of item 46. Alternatively, cap 112 may be covered altogether with yet another cap, cover, or disk, as described above, to partially or completely prevent visibility of item 46.

In yet another embodiment of the present invention shown in FIGS. 16-26, punt capsule 150 may alternatively be placed over bottle punt cavity 74 to house and/or display item 204, which may include a promotional item, a charm, a trinket, or the like. To provide punt capsule with the capability of housing and easily releasing item 204 from punt capsule 150, punt capsule 150 may optionally be formed from the following major components: inner capsule 152, outer capsule 180, and chamber 200. Inner capsule 152 may include skirt 154 and bottom 158.

As shown in FIG. 16, skirt 154 of inner capsule 152 may initially comprise a thin, transparent, semi-transparent, or opaque sheet, which may be one of a variety of suitable materials, such as, for example, metal, including aluminum or tin, a thermoplastic, such as polystyrene, polyethylene, polypropylene or ABS, wood pulp, wax, or any other material that may be formed into and function as a capsule. As shown in FIGS. 16-19, skirt 154 may be formed into a thin-walled cylinder having vertical seam 155 where side edges 157 may join and/or overlap. Adhesive may be used to connect side edges 157 to one another.

As shown in FIG. 17, bottom 158 may initially comprise a relatively thin, transparent, semi-transparent, or opaque sheet, which, like skirt 154, may be one of a variety of suitable materials, such as, for example, metal, including aluminum or tin, a thermoplastic, such as polystyrene, polyethylene, polypropylene or ABS, wood pulp, wax, or any other material that may be formed into and function as a capsule. Using die set 170 and 172 or similar, bottom 158 may be press-formed having a shallow cup-like shape and having cavity 160 formed underneath bottom 158. Optionally, cavity 160 may approximately conform to the profile of the punt cavity of bottle 66.

Inner capsule 152, shown in FIGS. 18-19, may be formed by inserting skirt 154 inside bottom 158 and joining the two components using the techniques described above, such as by shrinking side wall 159 of bottom 158 to outer wall 156 of skirt 154 using heat or by compressing side wall 159 against outer wall 156 under pressure to fasten the parts together. An adhesive may also be used, if desired, to more securely attach skirt 154 to bottom 158.

As shown in FIGS. 20-23, outer capsule 180 may include skirt 182 and base 188. Like skirt 154, skirt 182 of outer capsule 180 may initially comprise a thin, transparent, semi-transparent, or opaque sheet, which may be one of a variety of suitable materials, such as, for example, metal, including aluminum or tin, a thermoplastic, such as polystyrene, polyethylene, polypropylene or ABS, wood pulp, wax, or any other material that may be formed into and function as a capsule. And similar to skirt 154, skirt 182 may be formed into a thin-walled cylinder having vertical seam 186 where side edges 187 may join and/or overlap. Adhesive may be used to connect side edges 187 to one another.

Skirt 182 may differ from skirt 154 in that skirt 182 may also include tear strip 185 affixed circumferentially along inner surface 183 of skirt 182. Tear strip 185 may be a separate piece that is affixed to inner surface 183 of skirt 182 or tear strip 185 may be integrally formed with skirt 185. If tear strip 185 is a separate piece, tear strip 185 may be made from a different material than skirt 185.

Similarly to bottom 158, as shown in FIG. 21, base 188 of outer capsule 180 may initially comprise a relatively thin, transparent, semi-transparent, or opaque sheet, which, like bottom 158, may be one of a variety of suitable materials, such as, for example, metal, including aluminum or tin, a thermoplastic, such as polystyrene, polyethylene, polypropylene or ABS, wood pulp, wax, or any other material that may be formed into and function as a capsule. Using die set 130 and 132 or similar, base 188 may be press-formed into a shallow cup-like shape having a generally flat bottom wall 189 and a generally circular plan form.

Outer capsule 180, shown in FIGS. 22-23, may be formed by inserting skirt 182 inside base 188 and joining the two components using the techniques described above, such as by shrinking side wall 190 of base 188 to outer wall 184 of skirt 182 using heat or by compressing side wall 190 against outer wall 184 under pressure to fasten the parts together. An adhesive may also be used, if desired, to more securely attach skirt 182 to base 188.

Chamber 200 may house item 204 for optional display in the punt cavity of bottle 66 and may comprise a self-contained package for installation into punt capsule 150. Chamber 200 may be made from any transparent, semi-transparent, or opaque material, such as for example, a metal, a thermo-plastic, or glass. In addition, chamber 200 may include surface 202 and peel strip 206. Surface 202 may optionally conform to the profile of cavity 160, which, as described above, may optionally conform to the profile of the punt cavity of bottle 66. Peel strip 206 may form a closure for chamber 200, and may include an adhesive so as to adhere peel strip 206 to surface 202 of chamber 200. Peel strip 206 may comprise any form of closure or cover sufficient to enclose and retain item 204. Peel strip 206 or other closure for chamber 200 may be fabricated from the same material as surface 202 and may, for example, be attached to chamber 200 using conventional methods, such as by hinging, to create an opening for insertion and removal of item 204. Chamber 200 may also be pre-assembled with item 204 and with peel strip 206 or other closure for ease of manufacture of punt capsule 150. It should be understood that chamber 200 may comprise any number of geometries, configurations, and features so long as item 204 may be housed in releasable storage in the punt cavity of bottle 66.

Punt capsule 150 may be formed by first inserting chamber 200 in cavity 160 of bottom 158 of inner capsule 152. Depending on the shape of chamber 200 and cavity 160 of bottom 158, surface 202 of chamber 200 may nest with cavity 160. Once chamber 200 is inserted in cavity 160, inner capsule 152 may be joined with outer capsule 180 using the techniques described above, such as by shrinking outer capsule 180 to inner capsule 152 using heat or by compressing outer capsule 180 against inner capsule 152 under pressure to fasten the parts together. An adhesive may also be used, if desired, to more securely attach outer capsule 180 to inner capsule 152.

Installation of punt capsule 150 onto bottle 66 may occur by inserting punt capsule 150 over the bottom of bottle 66 and over bottle wall 76, as shown in FIG. 26, so as to nest the various surfaces of inner capsule 152 against the bottom surfaces of bottle 66, including the punt cavity of bottle 66. Punt capsule 150 may be secured to bottle 66 using the techniques described above, such as by shrinking punt capsule 150 to bottle 66 using heat or by compressing punt capsule 150 against bottle 66 under pressure to fasten the components together. An adhesive may also be used, if desired, to more securely attach punt capsule 150 to bottle 66.

To release and access item 204 from within chamber 200 when punt capsule 150 is fully installed on bottle 66, the user must first tear outer capsule 180 to sever and release the portion of outer capsule 180 below tear strip 185. To tear outer capsule 180, a user may grip loose end 193 of tear strip 185, which may extend exteriorly through, for example, either longitudinal seam 186 in skirt 182 or through an opening in skirt 182, and pull tear strip 185 to rupture skirt 182 along the periphery of skirt 182 until the portion of outer capsule 180 below tear strip 185 is severed and chamber 200 is released.

Once chamber 200 has been released from punt capsule 150 on bottle 66, the contents of chamber 200 may be accessed by, for example, gripping peel tab 208 of peel strip 206 (see FIG. 24, for example) and peeling peel strip 206 away off of chamber 200. Item 204 may then be retrieved from chamber 200. The technique for opening chamber 200 may depend on the type of closure actually employed on chamber 200.

Indicia similar to that shown and described for the previously described embodiments may be positioned on outer surfaces of inner capsule 152, such as in cavity 160 or on bottom 158, on or in chamber 200, on inside surfaces of outer capsule 180, such as on skirt 182 or on base 188, or separately included in cavity 160 or between inner capsule 152 and outer capsule 180. In this way, hidden messages may be provided to and read by, for example, consumers of bottle 66 after the portion of outer capsule 180 below tear strip 185 is severed and chamber 200 is released from punt capsule 150.

It should be understood that the teachings of the present invention would also apply to any punt cavity shape and to any cross sectional shape of bottle 66 or of chamber 200. It should also be understood that punt capsule 150 may comprise fewer parts to accomplish the same function as disclosed herein if punt capsule 150 is fabricated using alternative methods, such as by injection molding.

While specific embodiments of the invention have been described in detail, it will be appreciated by those skilled in the art that various modifications and alternatives to those details could be developed in light of the overall teachings of the disclosure. Accordingly, the particular invention disclosed is meant to be illustrative only and not limiting as to the scope of the invention which is to be given the full breadth of the appended claims and any equivalents thereof.

Claims

1. A capsule for a bottle, comprising:

a substantially tubular, conformable skirt; and

a chamber for housing an item, the chamber positioned at least partially inside and releasably secured to at least a portion of the skirt, the chamber comprising at least one standoff extending from the housing for mounting the chamber on a top of the bottle, wherein the at least one standoff includes at least one rim guide for centering the chamber on the bottle, and at least one bottle mount for connecting the chamber to the top of the bottle.

2. The capsule of claim 1, wherein the capsule forms a secondary closure on the bottle.

3. The capsule of claim 1, wherein the skirt includes an aperture for displaying the item through at least a top wall of the chamber.

4. The capsule of claim 3, wherein a portion of the chamber protrudes through the aperture in the skirt for displaying the item through a top wall of the chamber and also through at least one side wall of the chamber.

5. The capsule of claim 1, wherein the skirt is formed from a thin sheet comprising one of a metal, a thermoplastic, wood pulp, or wax.

6. The capsule of claim 1, wherein the capsule includes indicia on an inner surface of the capsule.

7. The capsule of claim 1, wherein the chamber further comprises:

a housing having a cavity;

an opening in the housing to permit the insertion and removal of the item into and from the cavity;

a cover releasably covering the opening to releasably secure the item inside the chamber; and

at least one vent aperture aligned with at least one vent hole in the skirt to permit gas to pass through the skirt.

8. The capsule of claim 7, wherein the skirt includes a tear strip circumferentially positioned on an inner surface of the skirt and axially below the at least one vent hole, wherein an end of the tear strip is exteriorly accessible to permit actuation of the tear strip, wherein actuation of the tear strip releases the chamber from the bottle and permits access to the cover and also to a primary closure of the bottle.

9. The capsule of claim 1, wherein the chamber is capable of bearing a compressive force longitudinally transmitted through the at least one standoff when the capsule is mounted on the bottle.

10. The capsule of claim 1, wherein the bottle is one of a wine bottle, a champagne bottle, a liquor bottle, or a soda bottle.

11. A capsule for forming a secondary closure on a bottle, comprising:

a skirt having at least one vent hole therethrough; and

a chamber positioned at least partially inside and releasably secured to at least a portion of the skirt, the chamber comprising: an item removably insertable into and from a cavity in the chamber through an opening in the chamber; a cover removably secured to the chamber and covering the opening for releasably securing the item in the cavity; a tear strip positioned on the skirt, wherein an end of the tear strip is exteriorly accessible for gripping and actuating the tear strip, wherein actuation of the tear strip releases the chamber from the bottle and permits access to the cover and also to a primary closure of the bottle; and at least one vent cavity aligned with the at least one vent hole.

12. The capsule of claim 11, wherein the item is visible through at least one wall of the chamber.

13. The capsule of claim 11, wherein the chamber has a plan form that is one of a circle or a polygon.

14. The capsule of claim 13, wherein a top wall of the chamber includes one of a raised surface or a recessed surface.

15. The capsule of claim 13, wherein a top wall of the chamber includes a lens for magnifying the item.

16. The capsule of claim 11, wherein the skirt is conformably attached to the chamber.

17. The capsule of claim 11, wherein the skirt is transparent.

18. The capsule of claim 11, wherein the capsule includes indicia on an inner surface of the capsule.

19. A system for housing an item with a bottle, comprising:

a closure having a chamber for housing the item, the closure positioned in a mouth of the bottle;

a cap releasably positioned on the closure and over the chamber for releasably retaining the item, wherein the cap includes a first aperture along an outer edge of the cap to assist in removing the cap from the closure for accessing the item; and

a skirt positioned over the closure and the cap and releasably secured to at least a portion of the bottle.

20. The system of claim 19, wherein the skirt includes a second aperture that exposes at least a portion of the cap, wherein the cap is transparent for displaying the item.

21. The system of claim 19, wherein the skirt comprises:

a second aperture exposing at least a portion of the first aperture to permit communication of gas through the first and second apertures; and

a tear strip positioned on the skirt, wherein an end of the tear strip is exteriorly accessible for gripping and actuating the tear strip, wherein actuation of the tear strip separates at least a portion of the skirt to permit access to the cap.

22. The system of claim 19, wherein the capsule includes indicia on an inner surface of the capsule.

23. A punt capsule for a bottle punt, comprising:

an inner capsule including a cavity adapted to be received by the bottle punt;

a chamber positioned in the cavity for housing an item, the chamber comprising a cover forming a bottom of the chamber, the cover releasably secured to the chamber to releasably secure the item inside the chamber; and

an outer capsule connected to the inner capsule and enclosing the chamber in the cavity, the outer capsule including a tear strip wherein an end of the tear strip is exteriorly accessible for gripping and actuating the tear strip, wherein actuation of the tear strip at least partially separates a portion of the outer capsule from the inner capsule to release the chamber from the punt capsule.

24. The punt capsule of claim 18, wherein the inner capsule nests in the outer capsule and the punt capsule is inserted over and shrink-fit to a bottom of a bottle.

25. The punt capsule of claim 18, wherein the chamber nests in the cavity.